GOL 105 Available this Summer and Fall
Cody Clark, staff writer
Physical Geology (GOL-105) is a four-credit course that fulfills the science with a laboratory requirement for those that need it. GOL 105 teaches students about the Earth’s processes and how they form the natural wonders around us today. The class is offered in the summer and fall. During the fall semester, however, there are several more options available for the course. Classes can be scheduled for three times a week, twice a week, and once a week. There is also a choice between three different faculty members: Stephen “Aaron” Cross, Janie Vinson, and Kathryn St. Clair. In the summer, there are two options available, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday from 9:30-10:45 a.m. and Tuesday 11 a.m. to 2:50 p.m. Both summer classes are taught by Adjunct Instructor of Geology Kathryn St. Clair.
While some science courses can be more intimidating due to the amount of math possibly required, Geology is one of the least math-intensive science courses PVCC offers. That is not the only reason to take this course though, as St. Clair said, “Geology is a science, and while it may not be as math intensive as other sciences, math is the language of science. But geology is the explanation of all that surrounds us. It’s the beautiful science of our planet.”
There is another geology class available at PVCC, Historical Geology (GOL 106). Although it is not required to take GOL 105 before GOL 106, some students may find it easier to take physical before historical. St. Clair said, “My personal belief is that the concepts in Physical (mineralogy, rock types, rock processes) help students understand the more difficult sleuthing as it were of Historical Geology.”
This could be important for students interested in the field of geology because “knowing how the processes create an ophiolite complex that you then point to and say this is how we know there was an ancient subduction zone here, this helps in the geologic understanding of the region.”
Jonathan Kenney, a student who took GOL 105, said, “The thing I liked the most about the Physical Geology class was getting to study volcanoes and volcanic activity, and how it all worked.”
When asked if he would recommended the class, he said, “I would definitely recommend it, students will get to learn about what makes up our world in a thorough manner, and it’s a good accompaniment to Historical Geology.”
